NFL quarterback prospect Bo Nix played a significant amount of football for the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers.
He started his career with the Tigers and didn’t take any time to get going in the SEC. He started his freshman year and played all three seasons with Auburn before transferring to the Oregon Ducks. He then started and played two seasons in the Pac-12 before declaring for the NFL draft.
The unique setup of college football has always fostered interconference debate and Nix’s significant experience on both sides of the spectrum deems him a valuable addition to the debate.
Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers QB Bo Nix says the difference between the two conferences is stark
Former Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers quarterback Bo Nix was asked what the difference was like when it came to starting for an SEC team like Auburn or a coastal team like Oregon. He explained in an article from AL.com just how serious football was in the South.
“In the sense, the hostility and maybe the unhealthy pressure that is added to 18- to 22-year-olds by outside noise and fans,” the Alabama native told The Ryen Russillo Podcast. “Like it’s almost like an unhealthy obsession in the South. I was that way growing up. I thought it was life-or-death football.”
Nix especially faced a great deal of pressure coming into Auburn. He immediately started as a true freshman and had all eyes on him from the first game of his career.
His first-ever game was a neutral-field matchup in which he would take on his future team, the Oregon Ducks, who were ranked No. 11 in the nation at the time. Nix led the Tigers to a victory with a scrappy 177-yard, two-touchdown game.
On national television, Nix immediately jumped to the forefront of college football conversations despite being thoroughly outplayed by Oregon QB Justin Herbert. Herbert threw for 242 yards on a 75.7% completion rate, while Nix had just 177 yards on a 41.9% completion rate.
When Bo Nix & Justin Herbert went H2H 👀
Auburn vs Oregon 2019 pic.twitter.com/vDfTmMH7rl
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 8, 2023
While Nix showed he was a true freshman, many saw the potential in his gutsy performance and forced a great deal of pressure on the young quarterback.
Pressure with the Auburn Tigers was too much for Bo Nix, and the stats with the Oregon Ducks back that statement up
After explaining what it was like playing football in the SEC, Bo Nix went on to praise the laid-back nature of football in the Pac-12 in the same AL.com article.
“You move out here, and you play the game as hard as you can,” he said. “You got great passion for the game. It’s a little bit more laid back in a way.”
“I think that’s the difference, quite frankly, is what is put into college football in the South,” Nix explained. “Then, how out here football is just a game, and we want to find the joy in it.”
Statistically, a laid-back style paid off well for Nix. He immediately saw a huge jump in every statistical category upon coming to the Ducks. During his time with Auburn, he never threw for more than 2,600 yards. He also never had more than 16 passing touchdowns or a 61% completion rate.
When he came to Oregon in 2022, he had 3,592 yards and 29 passing touchdowns on a 71.9% completion rate. He then took another massive step in 2023 with 4,508 yards and 45 passing touchdowns on a 77.4% completion rate. Nix threw just three interceptions in his final year with the Ducks.
It is important to note that Nix was an older, more experienced quarterback playing against what many would consider weaker competition. That being said, the pressure lifted off of his shoulders after leaving the SEC is hard to understate. He explained in an On3 article that Oregon’s laid-back nature allowed him to play with more freedom.
“Same guy,” he said. “Same toughness. Same competitiveness. I haven’t really developed that much physically, either. Same guy. I just think that less opportunity and less freedom at Auburn. It was just kind of not as flexible as what I was able to be when I got to Oregon and really use my strengths and go out there and perform at a high level.”
If pressure has that much of an impact on his play, then there is a chance that he may not be as successful in the NFL. No matter where he goes, the pressure of NFL football, especially during deep postseason runs, is similar to or greater than the pressure faced when playing for an SEC team.
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